Bob Costas on state of Major League Baseball
NBC and MLB Network analyst Bob Costas joined the show to talk about Goose Gossage’s remarks on players celebrating too much in baseball.
“I don’t have much of a problem with it,” Costas said of Jose Bautista’s infamous bat flip. But he has a problem with celebrations that are “all about me.”
Costas thinks Bryce Harper is good for the game. “Mike Trout is a tremendous player to watch,” Costas said. “But there’s a certain quality that’s hard to describe that Bryce Harper has that separates him. Doesn’t make him better. There’s something a little bit more compelling. A little element of danger.”
Bob Costas argues reasonable people can distinguish appropriate celebrations. “Personality isn’t always measured in decibel levels,” Costas said. “There’s a different between flair and good natured celebrating … and situations that are just flat out obnoxious because of the circumstances when you know it’s all about me, not about the team, and I think that rubs some people the wrong way.
Costas said that the storyline that baseball is suffering is overstated. “By every measure, baseball has never been more popular,” Costas said.